"Motherhood is an integral part of a woman's life but  her identity is much beyond being a mother."

It's 11:00 pm and as I had a long day, I'm about to call it a day but the lil' one insists on some baby and moma time with deep conversation.

My 7 year old: Momma, what's the biggest adventure of your life?

Me: Carrying you in my tummy and moving around effortlessly for 9 months.

My 7 year old: Seriously? I thought a stork picked me from heaven and left me at your doorstep.

Me: Wondering if that could have been true or just like surrogacy, if we could have contemplated on baking our bun in someone's oven. But we were too young and naïve then to even think about it back in 2014. 😃 

Motherhood is the most precious gift the universe has bestowed upon a woman. Creating a miniature inside you is nothing less than a miracle. Although many women don't get to experience this phase directly, surrogacy has proved to be a boon for them! 

What is Surrogacy?

Infertility is an issue creeping into the modern society. But surrogacy gives a ray of hope to couples battling infertility. Surrogacy is a legal arrangement where a  woman (a surrogate mother) agrees to carry a baby in her womb belonging to another person/people (couple) who will become legal parents of the child after the birth of the child. The surrogate is compensated as per the agreement for renting her womb. Long story short - surrogacy is like you baking your bun in a rented oven. Period!

Representative Image: Pexels

Types of Surrogacy:

Traditional Surrogate: One where a surrogate gets inseminated by the sperms of the prospective father of the baby. The surrogate is the biological mother (as she is the egg donor) and she agrees to hand over the baby upon delivery to the couple who hired her. Yes, you got it right, Preity Zinta's role in the movie Chori Chori Chupke Chupke.

Gestational Surrogate: In gestational surrogacy, an 'In Vitro Fertilization' (IVF) technique is used to gather the eggs from the mother (an egg donor) and it is fertilized with father's sperm (sperm donor). An embryo is formed outside the womb (in a lab) and then placed in the womb of a surrogate. The surrogate hands over the baby after nine months to the couple who hired her. Yes, you got it right, Phoebe Buffay in reel life in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. And in real life, Preity Zinta-Gene Goodenough and Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas who embraced parenthood recently through this method. 

Phoebe Buffay in F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Reasons for Surrogacy:

While reasons for surrogacy are quite personal, a few can be ageing, health issues, career commitments, single parents or homosexuality. In fact, a lot of celebrities have become single parents through surrogacy such as Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Tushar Kapoor and are nurturing 'Designer Babies'. 

Surrogacy Law in India:

India is known as a hub for getting surrogate mothers and a lot of couples from overseas visit India in a hope of finding a right surrogate and fulfilling their dream of becoming parents. Often movies are a reflection of the society and the movie 'Mimi' portrays the surrogacy saga remarkably!

India legalized gestational surrogacy in 2002 and since then many clinics specializing in surrogacy have flourished over the years. But in order to curb the exploitation of women for commercial gains, the Surrogacy Regulation Act with amendments was passed in the year 2021 that accounted for altruistic (selfless) surrogacy wherein no monetary compensation is offered to the surrogate except for the reimbursement for any medical expenses incurred during the pregnancy phase. 

Surrogacy Procedure in India: 

Incase a couple or an individual (single parent) wishes to embrace parenthood through surrogacy, they can visit any of the infertility clinics within their reach who would be providing step-by-step guidance on the process. 

Cost of Surrogacy in India:

Altruistic surrogacy isn't that expensive barring the medical expense during the pregnancy period. However, the chances of getting a surrogate who will agree for altruistic surrogacy  are very bleak. On the contrary, commercial surrogacy will cost anywhere between 13 lakhs to 20 lakhs depending upon the procedures. 

No matter which method you adopt to embrace parenthood, your love towards your child will always be unconditional as a parent. Further, nurturing them and watching them bloom into self-reliant  human beings is an experience that cannot be expressed in words!

Happy Parenting! :)

As a parent, if you have ever cancelled or adjusted your appointments and work schedule just to accommodate for something as silly as a playdate or a slumber party, take a bow! 

The squad on a playdate

If you ever thought that dates always had that 'romance component' attached to it then probably you need to widen your horizon.😊 With a fast-paced lifestyle, nuclear as well as single child families, parents are often concerned of lack of social interaction and development of interpersonal skills in their children. Also, not to forget the online classes due to pandemic that led to lack of physical interaction with their pals for almost 2 years. Hence, making an actual play time appointment - often referred to as a 'Playdate' is obvious. We had one such playdate recently that was followed by a slumber party (a sleepover) and it was quite refreshing!

How to Plan a Playdate and/or a Slumber Party?

1. Finalize a location: 

An exotic location would be ideal but if not possible, at least a spacious indoor or outdoor area should be good enough for kids to have fun. 

Our recent play date and slumber party at a scenic location (Igatpuri, India)

2. Finalize the date and timings: 

Matching everyone's calendar and finalizing the date and timing is indeed a task! Usually, weekends and public holidays suit all. So go for it.

3. Prepare a checklist: 

Prepare a checklist of things to carry or arrange. Divide the task of arranging things by giving the responsibility to everyone. Get the kids on board in preparing the checklist and organizing things. These majorly includes snacks for your lil' ones. In the process, their planning and organizing skills will be honed.

4. Finalize the games: 

Social interaction and interpersonal skill enhancement being the objective, plan the games accordingly. Take a break from the gadgets by keeping them at bay. Have a proper balance of indoor and outdoor games to the extent possible. 

5. Reward the kids: 

Reward every child for their participation and enthusiasm. Let them return back in high spirits and plan for more such playdates and sleepovers. 

Happy parenting! :)

Once upon a time a visionary had a dream - a dream to lift his country in the eyes of the world. A desire to draw attention to the city he loved. The visionary was Jamsetji Tata and his dream was the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. In 1898, his vision was laid in stone and that's how, five years later in 1903, India's finest and one of the most iconic hotel opened its doors to the world. There is also a sweet revenge story that narrates how Jamsetji Tata was inspired to build this iconic hotel after he was refused an entry in the Watson Hotel (now known as Esplanade Manison) located in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai which was restricted to whites only. 

Since its inception, Taj has welcomed guest from all walks of life and has also endured the horrifying 26/11 terror attack only to emerge as one of the best service providers in the hospitality sector. 

View from our sea facing room

To celebrate our love anniversary and to bid adieu to 2021, the man of the house surprised us by booking a staycation in Taj and voila! We were elated as we experienced their exemplary services unfold at every stage of our stay with them. 

To mornings with this view#AamchiMumbai

As a Management Professor, Tata group's examples have been my favourite for topics such as ethics, values, loyalty etc. So here are five points that highlight all of it that I experienced throughout my stay with them.

• Human Touch Element in Service: Warm and polite staff is well trained to add 'Human Touch' element at every point of contact with the customers right form the gatekeeper to the front desk to the janitor. This could be literally sensed at every point of contact with them. The traditional welcome with a thali and the greetings was an amazing experience! (unfortunately I couldn't upload the video due to technical glitch😢. Nevertheless, it's in my Instagram highlights)

• Ambience: Every corner and every aisle boasts about royalty and heritage that makes us take endless selfies at every point for our social media and keepsake. Trust me, you can't resist clicking it all. Also, we were totally mesmerized by the pastel ambience of the Sea Lounge that gave vibes of the west. 

Coz every aisle has a story...

Pastel Ambience at Sea Lounge

• Surprise Goodies: Not all hotels leave surprise goodies in your room for the lil' one accompanying you. Our lil' one was overjoyed to see Christmas goodies hidden in Santa's shoe after we came back from dinner in Shamiana. Little surprises go a long way in shaping customer experiences in a positive way. 😊

Surprise goodies for our lil'one

• No Plastic Bottles and the Delectable Menu: The big round 'glass bottles' in the room as well as in their restaurants as a replacement for plastic drew my attention and was quite impressive! A much needed step to curb the plastic hazard. Also, needless to say that the specially curated menu in Shamiana and Sea lounge (two restaurants that we visited) was delectable! 

• Striving for Customer Delight: Well, while checking out, I forgot my scarf (an inexpensive item) in the room. But after two days, the housekeeping team was kind enough to reach out to us via email and couriered it free of cost as a compliment. Such a kind gesture has truly delighted us because there have been instances in the past wherein we have left behind more expensive items like mobile chargers, belt and shrug at other places but none of them bothered to reach out.   

My scarf that was couriered with compliments!😊

Email from the housekeeping team

Happy 'We'... signing off with loads of good memories for life😊 Thank you Taj for being an amazing host and memories of lifetime! Here's to many more 💜

"A year from now you wish you had started."

Representative Image: Pexels

2021 - The beginning of a new decade started with a bang until a few days in Jan as we discovered that the man of the house has been tested positive for Covid. But early detection, timely treatment and isolation helped us overcome that phase. As the days passed by, we were able to get the jabs - a step towards defeating the virus! 

The year has dispensed some rare pearls of wisdom to nurture and cherish and out of those, the five most important ones learnt the hard way are:

1. Health is Wealth: Although we have heard it multiple times, we often take it for granted. But better late than never. Eating right, moderate exercise and adequate sleep is all that your body needs to keep going. And, don't forget to laugh often till it hurts your belly. 😂
2. Learning Never Stops: Every pro was once an amateur. You are never too old to learn any new skill or venture into new career avenues. 
3. Expressing Deep Sense of Gratitude: Expressing gratitude towards everyone around us for their tiny gestures of kindness doesn't hurt anyone! Also, being grateful for every single breath, good health, company of loved ones and privileges. 🙏
4. Introspect: At times its better to be be quiet and let it go...because inner peace is better than having your last word. Introspect and meditate to build your focus on important things that matter. 🙇
5. Family is Everything: No matter how much one fights and argues over petty things, making time for each other and being there to celebrate all the special occasions and success alike is what contentment feels like. The tightest hugs, kisses and cuddles is what keeps you going through every season. 👪

The phone gallery never lies, when we try to recall the good times we cherished in the year! Wishing all a prosperous 2022! 😊

Cheers to 2022!💜

 “If it scares you, you should do it!”

Theme park adventures has its own charm for they bring out the child in us no matter how old we grow! For this very reason, Imagicaa - One of India's largest Theme park, rightly justifies why one should visit it  at least once.

Let the Adventure begin...

Although, we had been to Imagicaa, leaving behind our tiny tot roughly around 5 years back, this year's visit will always hold a special place in our heart as our not so tiny tot accompanied us and was thrilled beyond our expectation!😊

😊

Accommodation: 

We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights in Novotel Imagicaa, a luxurious five star property that is just across the Theme park. 

The Calmness of Buddha: Novotel Entrance

All charged up to take on the adventures...😀

6 Must Try Rides:

• Rajasaurus: This spine-chilling water boat adventure packed with twists and ambush turns transports you to the world of dinosaurs and you can't afford to miss it. 😊

The Gusto and Adrenaline Rush

•  Alibaba: It is a simulator ride that takes you inside a cave to encounter the world of Alibaba and Chalis Chor.

Experiencing the Tale Live

• Salimgarh: This is a spooky house. Inside, is a simulator ride that narrates the spooky tale of Salimgarh and is quite spine-chilling! 😲

The Spooky Salimgarh😱

• Mr. India: It is one of the most popular simulator rides based on the movie Mr. India. Enjoy the adventurous ride with Mr. India as he chases Mogambo.😉
• I for India: It is also a simulator ride that gives a helicopter view of the entire country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Although a good ride, video quality should be enhanced for a better experience.
• Gold Rush: This is not a simulator ride but a real roller coaster ride that's less scary in comparison to other adventurous rides.

Other Attractions:

• Snow Park: It has separate tickets that are available at the counter. Remember to carry your socks or else you can purchase from the counter. Other accessories such as jackets, boots and gloves are inclusive in the ticket and are given at the counter. It has hourly shows till 6:00 pm. Our experience was mediocre. We spent around 20 minutes here due to extremely cold temperature. Although sufficient to click good pictures. 😊

Snow Park Adventures

• Water Park: It is closed owing to covid safety measures.

Restaurants:

There are 4 in house restaurants serving some lip smacking food.

• Roberto's Food Court: It's a big food court serving good quality veg & non-veg thalis and other items at reasonable price.

Roberto's

• Arrmada: This ship shaped resturant is good for Pizza lovers and Italian cuisine.

Arrmada

• Zeze Grill: This restaurant with African tribal interiors takes you to the majestic African continent and is well known for kebabs and grills.

Zeze Grill

• The Imagica Capitol: It is a buffet restaurant having a wide variety.

Outside Imagicaa Capitol

Height Criteria for Kids:

Minimum of 40 to 42 inches is required to enjoy maximum rides. Nevertheless, they can still enjoy all the kid rides such as Tubby, Merry go Round, Boat Ride, Dashing Cars and much more irrespective of their height.

Tubby, The Flying Elephant Ride

Hope you get the adrenaline rush, a feeling like you are flying. So just close your eyes and enjoy the roller coaster ride.😊 

The Wrap up Dance

Memories to walk down the memory lane...😊

Technology is the much needed Oxygen for sustainable business model in today's competitive world! 

Representative Image: Pexels

Technology has impacted our lives in a way that today, our lives thrive on technology. We barely can think of tracing our footsteps backwards. With the advancement in Artificial Intelligence in every walk of our life - right from smart watches to smart door locks to robotic vacuum cleaners and of course the cloud kitchen concept, one can predict the power of technology in business.

Analyzing the above changes in the external business environment, one can gauge that having a mere specialized degree in Management (or any other stream) is not adequate but having a fine blend of technical soundness along with those degrees would go a long way in building a sustainable career. Having said that, here's how fresher's can integrate Management & Technology to have a sustainable career:

• Monitoring the Trends Over the Years: A thorough sectoral & specialization analysis is what one should be starting with. Be it HR, Marketing or Finance - every specialization in every sector has undergone a dramatic change over the past years. Moreover, the pandemic has changed the business dynamics remarkably!

• Upgrading your Knowledge & Skills: For example, it is imperative for everyone in the field of Marketing & Sales to know how to run digital marketing campaigns. Everyone in Finance, should know how trading is done online and how technology plays a vital role in all financial transactions. Everyone in HR, should know how HR  uses technology to manage employee life cycle & HR activities. 

• Getting Certifications through Short Term Courses: Learning is a  lifelong process and to avoid stagnation, plenty of short term courses are available at a throwaway price on various recognized e-learning platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, Upgrad etc. For example, if you go on any of these websites and search in your field of specialization, you will find many industry specific & job centric short term courses that are relevant in today's time. These courses can supplement your regular college degrees.

• Participating in Events & Webinars: Events & webinars by renowned speakers from the industry, presents a glimpse of the corporate scenario along with exchange of ideas. It's a powerful tool to get acquainted with your field of specialization and helps in building contacts.

• Using Social Media for your Benefit: Social media platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram to name a few can help in understanding the current trends in your area of specialization. So use it to your advantage.

• Hunt for Internships: Internships are short term but gives an immense exposure to the practical nature of the job in real time. So, hunt it and grab the opportunity that comes your way. 

Happy Learning & Prospering! 😊

Fifteen plus months and we are still under the grip of a pandemic, confined to our home and as life is normalizing, with a hopeful heart we await to breathe under the open sky. Even a day's impromptu ride into the heart of nature in such circumstances can be a treat to the senses! One such escapade we had into the lush green nature, a hill station less explored - Jawhar.

An Escapade into the heart of Nature

More than the place, it was the ride that was enthralling! As we rode through the winding roads spiraling to Jawhar, we were mesmerized by the breathtaking view and the pristine landscapes that made the ride worth while! Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in the Palghar district and has a pleasant climate, making it one of the closest hill station from Mumbai (approx. 3 hours), ideal for a day's visit. 

Places to explore in Jawhar:

While there are quite a good number of places to explore in Jawhar, we explored only the Jai Villas Palace and the Hanuman Point due to paucity of time.

• Jai Vilas Palace: Built in 1940 by Raja Yashwantrao Mukane, this palace used to be a residential palace of the Royal Mukane family.  Although into ruins now, it still stands as a major tourist architectural attraction to this present day and is featured in several Hindi and Marathi films. The entry fee into the palace is Rs. 50 per head and photography is strictly banned inside the palace. However, you can click the pictures outside and in the vicinity of the palace. The palace desperately calls for a renovation and maintenance to restore the history for the generations to come.

Jai Vilas Palace - Side Angle

The Courtyard of the Palace

• Hanuman Point: Just a few meters away from the Jai Villas Palace is the Hanuman Point that gives you a glimpse of Jawhar and the beautiful landscapes surrounding it. Being at a high altitude, the weather is pleasant and an instant mood enhancer! At the top is the photo point with 'I Love Jawhar' as a backdrop for the selfie lovers wanting to get clicked.😉

At the Hanuman Point

Other places that one can explore are Dhabosa waterfall, Warli Art & Painting sites in the village that showcases rich tribal culture and heritage, Shripamal - a popular historic site and Bhopatgad Fort. 

Best Time to Visit: 

The place is more scenic during monsoons. Hence, June to  September is the ideal time.

Finally, ending the post by quoting a few lyrics from my favourite, Avicii's Nights - "When you get older, your wild heart will live for younger days.....One day you'll leave this world behind...so live a life you will remember...😊

The Adventurous Ride☺️